When you hear the word “boho,” your first thoughts probably lead you to the famous confessional song of Freddy Mercury: "Bohemian Rhapsody." But no, we will not talk about Queen's music. Instead, we will unfold the world of boho decor and help you get inspired with these bohemian decorating ideas curated by the expert, Donald Kamberaj.
If you give it a second thought, though, a fine line connects Bohemian Rhapsody with boho decor. That's because the song is about living the dream. In this song, Freddy sings about an alternative life in which he is happy because he can be himself.
Giving yourself a bohemian home means creating the space you crave for. So, equipped with a boho chic style, you can fulfill your happily-ever-after in your Bohemian dream home.
What is a Boho Style?
A boho home decor means showing your true inner colors by painting the walls and choosing the furnishings. It represents a free-spirited, vibrant style in a space's interior decor or exterior design.
Bohemian style draws inspiration from various cultures, eras, and artistic influences, resulting in a mix of colors, patterns, and textures. Boho decor focuses mainly on creating a functional but stylish place.
Natural elements like wood, rattan, and plants are a top pick for creating a warm and inviting house. Handmade and vintage pieces are highly preferred to add a sense of personal touch to the space.
Image source: thewhitehoneyhome
Top 10 Key Elements that Define Bohemian Decor
What makes a boho decor, well, boho? At its core, this style thrives on an eclectic mix of elements. Boho has everything from the earthy touch of natural materials to a messy combo of colors.
Let's look at how a bohemian style can blend creativity, individuality, and a well-traveled spirit with these 10 fundamental elements.
A Mix of Textures is the First Green Flag.
Boho decor thrives on a rich combination of textures and patterns. It blends elements like plush rugs, fringed throws, and woven textiles in one space.
Image source: thewhitehoneyhome
A Vibrant Color Palette Surely Leads to Bohemian Vibes.
Bold, saturated colors like deep purples, fiery oranges, and lush greens are characteristics of Bohemian style. These colors don't necessarily indicate a messy room. You can paint the walls with a light beige and still have some pops of red with the cushions.
Image source: pvproductions
Collecting Different Cultural Ornaments in a Boho Room is a Must.
Mixing elements from various cultures worldwide is another must-do step in boho decor. Details such as Moroccan rugs, Indian tapestries, and Turkish ceramics add an international feel to the space. Boho style embraces cultural diversity, making it easy to get inspiration from various parts of the world.
Image source: Manja Vitolic
Bringing Nature Into the House is a Cornerstone of Boho Aesthetics.
Wood, rattan, and stone often create an earthy-themed space. Combining different furniture made of natural materials is another step that gets you closer to boho decor.
Image source: Cole Keister
A Dynamic Setting is a Hallmark of the Bohemian Style.
Mixing and layering different patterns, from paisleys to bold geometric prints, is a typical decor element in the boho style. Paisleys are colorful, abstract figures that look like a puzzle of teardrop-shaped motifs.
Image source: Frames For Your Heart
A Boho Decor Often Includes Plants and Greenery.
Overgrown indoor plants and succulents bring life and vitality to boho spaces. Hanging planters, potted greenery, and trailing vines are popular choices when decorating in boho style.
Image source: cozagraty
It's Not Close to Boho Decor if It Doesn't Give Vintage Vibes.
Incorporating one-of-a-kind, artisanal items, vintage furniture, and handmade accessories adds a sense of individuality and history to the decor.
Image source: tantefrida
Boho is the Style of High Imagination With Low-Level Seating.
In a boho-themed living room decor, expect casual and comfortable seating arrangements, like floor cushions, poufs, and low-slung sofas. Boho is all about comfort and individual freedom.
Image source: freepick
Put Your Own Artwork to Add Some Boho Style to Your House.
Boho is about feeling in your own space. A boho wall decor often features eclectic and personal artwork. It includes paintings, tapestries, travel souvenirs, and beautiful wall decorations —anything that reflects the individuality and creativity of the homeowner who loves boho vibes.
Image source: Steven Ungermann
Adapting Mood Lighting Is A Characteristic Of A Boho House.
Soft, ambient lighting is the last addition to achieve that polished boho look. Fairy lights, lanterns, and vintage lamps create a warm and inviting atmosphere, perfect for a homely home.
Image source: taylor hernandez
Color Palettes for Boho Interior Design
70s Boho Color Palette
The fashion world has been looking back at the bohemian style of the 70s for years. This boho interior design mixes eras and styles.
It harmoniously unites bizarre eclectic compositions such as colors, ornaments, vintage, and folk art. The most common shades of ‘70s boho living spaces are violet, blue, red, and green shades.
Boho Chic Decor Color Palette
The boho chic style represents the most sophisticated and planned decor in many boho designs.
This style should not involve worn vintage chairs and antique decor. You can only expect high-quality decor accessories and furniture items in boho chic. Precious metals, expensive fabrics, and luxurious additions are the "it element" in boho chic style.
Boho chic color palette includes colors of the same family but in lighter or darker shades. Hence, a typical boho chic palette includes beige, sandy, and brown colors. You can use bright colors such as green and orange for a contrast effect and to spice it up.
Boho Vintage Decor Color Palette
Vintage boho decor is an interior design that tells a story. Sewing machines, suitcases, and chest boxes you inherited from your grandpas will come in handy.
Time-worn furniture, the piano your great-grandmother played, your uncle’s old radio, porcelain figurines from the past — all these things will add nostalgic vibes to your boho interior space.
Moreover, hand-made items such as crocheted napkins, macrame, patchwork pillows, and rag dolls all have their place in a vintage bohemian design. Drawings and crafts of your children can perfectly fit too.
Anything that brings into the house your family history can make your space feel one of a kind.
Boho Retro Color Palette
When you think of retro, you probably confound it with vintage style. Its specific shades make the boho retro color palette so random and yet so unique. It includes shades of blue, gray, amber, orange, and gold.
Other elements for a boho retro vibe are seashells from the beach, crystal threads, and, of course, retro posters.
Ceramic or wooden figurines, pictures painted by street artists, oriental lanterns, caskets, and any other trinket will complete the retro vibes in your boho aesthetic look.
You can hang bunches of bulbs and dry flowers under the ceiling of any room. A boho retro room reflects the owner’s uniqueness and inner world.
Color Palette for Boho Bedroom Ideas
A boho bedroom must be exceptionally comfortable and customized.
A bed is optional (you can even get by with a mattress), but if you choose one, get a spacious one and large, vibrant blankets.
The lines of bedspreads and curtains falling to the floor give the sense of a cozy and relaxing bedroom where you can recharge yourself after a long day. Use natural materials, pillows, souvenirs, and woven rugs for a boho bedroom.
To your surprise, a boho bedroom doesn’t include many bright colors. They are relatively serene and light shades, such as beige, sandy, camel, light gray, and creme.
Boho Farmhouse Color Palette
A farmhouse is usually that one cozy place you just… chill out! If you own a farmhouse in your backyard, it’s probably for clearing your mind from the city thrill.
A farmhouse is an extra building designed for having a "second," relaxing house within your backyard. Therefore, it's worth discussing with family members (who will probably use that, too) before deciding to have a boho farmhouse.
So that the interior does not fall apart, the space can be combined with standard style elements such as colors, bright accents, and plants.
The color palette for boho farmhouse design is a variety of beige, camel, dark brown, peachy, violet, and sea blue.
Boho Kitchen Color Palette
Have you always dreamed of a colorful set of kitchen utensils or pink curtains?
The kitchen in boho style is the right place where colors can be combined freely. You can safely make a color accent on the countertop or kitchen cabinets.
A kitchen is the right spot to allow colorful chaos. Start with the jars in plain sight, multi-colored kitchen utensils, and dried herbs hung on cabinets.
The most common colors in a boho kitchen are celery green, dark brown, rust orange, charcoal gray, sandy, and beige.
Boho Home Color Palette
Before deciding to add the boho style to your house's interiors, you must decide whether to paint the walls or stick a wallpaper with a bright print.
Natural materials like boards, parquets, and tiles are your best bet for a boho floor. A wallpaper for the ceiling is always a creative solution in boho decor. Home are such shades as light blue, cobalt, gray, bone, chartreuse, and copper.
However, even when you have decided that your flat, farmhouse, or kitchenette will be designed in any variation of boho style, you don't have to mix random colors with different undertones. You can actually get a perfect monochrome design, even in boho style.
To wrap it up, Donald explains: “I tried to convey these boho palettes to give every space a boho life. Each of them will uplift the setting with the creative and eclectic aesthetic of bohemian decor. There’s no such thing as a perfect boho decor. But there’s a boho style for everyone.”
20 Boho Decor Ideas for Your Interior Space
The expert was kind enough to share some boho decor ideas for our readers to derive inspiration from. However, before we jump into his stunning illustrations explicitly designed to provide bohemian decor ideas for dear Pandas, Donald takes a moment to explain that "the secret to boho style is being personal, intentional, and thoughtful with your decor."
When the homeowner decides to combine all the boho-style elements, it will unite the space in a single storytelling theme. The homeowner will tell their story by just using layers of pillows and blankets. These elements will lead to a cozy setting of bohemian design, whether it’s an interior or exterior space.
"For a classic and inviting boho look, try layering similar patterns in different colors. Another suggestion is to reverse it by layering different patterns in similar colors," suggests Donald.
1. Chic Boho Style for the Living Room
“In the living space area, I decided to go with warm, earthy tone colors and a nude wall plaster texture in shades of beige. Moreover, natural oak wood and milky shades of sofa's fabric make the living room feel cozier," says Donald.
2. Accents in Boho Chic Decor
"I went for this chocolate armchair to let the rest of the room absorb the light and break the pattern. Thus, all the other decor elements can be in harmony altogether. The color and texture included in this space lead to a chic, simple, and open space area," explains Donald.
3. Vintage Boho Decor for the Living Room
“Designing a vintage-themed space is as simple as you think. All the elements tell a story and make the space feel like a comfy room. I suggest using green plants to break all the warm tones with a green touch. This will add more life to your vintage home,” adds Donald.
4. Chic Boho Decor for an Open Space Area
This dining area is designed to be part of an open space. It extends to the living room with the same tones, colors, and texture. It allows a better reflection of natural light.
5. Boho Chic Decor for the Dining Area
A marble texture for the table and wooden chairs for a dining area make an ideal combination for a classic boho design. This is the coziest dining area for a beautiful morning or a relaxing dinner. Plus, it makes the space much more elegant and inviting for your guests.
6. Bright Retro Boho Decor for the Living Room
This pastel color palette is a perfect fit for a bright and serene living room. The green, beige, and warm white shades let in the natural light by emphasizing its effect in making the room look more spacious.
7. Bright Retro Boho Decor for an Open Space
“Since retro boho decor always opts for bright colors, I've extended its brightness effect all over the open space of this apartment. As we can see in the image above, everything represents the smooth transition from old and classy to new and modern boho style. It brings a more intense and defined understanding of the boho look nowadays," explains Donald.
8. Bright Retro Boho Decor for the Dining Area
"I like the combination of bright wood and pastels to make the space more welcoming for guests and a real home to its inhabitants. Macrame is the ‘it’ in boho elements. It perfectly matches a retro boho apartment,” shares Donald.
9. Bright Retro Boho Accent
“Across the internet, accents are defined as the contrast elements breaking the pattern. In this retro boho decor, the accent smoothly blends in with the rest of the bright colors. That's because I consider an accent to be a functional spot, part of the entire decor instead of ‘the black sheep’ of a color palette," explains Donald.
10. Retro Boho Home
Elements of retro boho interior design include a lot of soft curves and angled decorations. There are distinct features of retro design. We can see this all over the space in chairs, shelves, frames, and furniture. Retro includes mostly classic furniture and soft fabrics.
11. Retro Boho Style - Kitchen Area
Retro boho interior design is bright and colorful, with big blocks of color. This can easily divide the room into smaller sections, as we can see in this retro boho-styled kitchen.
12. Minimalist Boho Decor for the Living Room
As mentioned earlier, textures play a big role in interiors, especially in minimalist, modern boho style. Many of the highlights of this boho-themed space combine soft, creamy colors with dark elements such as the piano or the TV. A smooth combination of the textures and patterns from both traditional and modern days are ideal for an eye-appealing minimalist boho style.
13. Modern Boho Home Decor for the Dining Area
"Whenever I create a new home decor, keeping the design elements balanced is the key. As we can witness in this modern boho dining area, I have combined wood and white palettes instead of blending them. The trick is not to attempt an exact 50-50 balance. Instead, I've implemented a 70-30 ratio to achieve the best results. The biggest helping elements were the lighting, orientation of windows, and the choice of working with a modern boho style," clarifies Donald.
14. Green Bohemian Decor for the Kitchen Area
Green is an underrated classy color. It usually enhances the current decor or breaks the entire pattern. Little do people know that a soft green shade perfectly matches the wooden material in the kitchen. It's the color that helps you create budget-friendly combinations that still look fantastic.
15. Green & Earthy Tones Boho Decor for a Kitchen Accent
“Alright, busted! Green is my favorite color in home decor! That's because I can combine it with white or soft shades, natural materials, or even big black blocks, and it still looks amazing in every kitchen corner or wide open space,” says Donald.
16. Earthy-toned Boho Style for Living Room Decor and Dining Area
Donald continues to explain further: “A variety of textures can add depth to any single color. When designing a living room, I use different textiles, finishes, high gloss paint, tiles, and matte to add a glimpse of a luxurious room.”
17. Modern Boho Style for Beautiful Bedroom Ideas
Many people find it challenging to decide on their bedroom decor. That's because the colors that help us calm down (the purpose of a bedroom) and what we want to look great on a few square meters do not always align. That's why a modern boho bedroom is an excellent idea to decorate your bedroom.
18. Dark Green Modern Bohemian Decor for Stunning Bedroom Ideas
Let's jump into the amazing calming contrast of green wall paints, grayish bedspreads, and rugs with a dark wooden parquet floor. The most obvious advantage of this design is the sweet contrast of colors, which makes every element stand out.
19. Modern Boho Style for the Living Room and Hall Space
A modern boho interior home will often feature a variety of materials. However, an unwritten rule is not to overuse earthy tones and natural materials like wood, stone, or leather fabric.
20. Modern Boho Wall Decor for the Dining Area
"The Modern boho design style is an evolving concept and, thus, more challenging to define than others. At its heart is the incorporation of modern art in wall decor and the overall space. I wanted to display elements that boho lovers might find inspiring. Many things with a vague boho decor can look like a messy space. Still, a collection of well-thought elements will tell the homeowner's story even in a modern boho-themed home," explains Donald.
The Essence of Boho Decor
Boho decor is about creating a free-spirited, vibrant, and personalized living space that allows the homeowner to express their true colors. It draws inspiration from various cultures, incorporating natural materials (wood, rattan, plants), handmade and vintage pieces, and a mix of textures and patterns. Mixing and layering different patterns, from paisleys to bold geometric prints, is a characteristic decor element in the boho style.
Boho Color Palettes Summarized
1. 70s Boho: violet, blue, red, and green shades.
2. Boho Chic: beige, sandy, and brown colors with bright accents
3. Vintage Boho: mauve, dark brown, beige, and light blue shades.
4. Boho Retro: shades of blue, gray, amber, orange, and gold.
5. Boho Bedroom colors: light shades like beige, sandy, camel, light gray, and creme.
6. Boho farmhouse style: beige, camel, dark brown shades.
7. Boho Kitchen: green, dark brown, rust orange, charcoal gray, sandy, and beige.
8. Boho Home: light blue, cobalt, and gray shades.
Dr. Donald Kamberaj emphasizes the importance of personalizing and layering elements in boho decor to tell a unique story in your space. He provides 20 boho-style ideas for your home decor, showcasing various spaces like living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and dining areas, each with a distinctive boho style.
Boho Decor FAQs
What Is Bohemian Vs. Boho Style?
The difference is not between bohemian and boho. Boho is a shorter term for bohemian style but closely related to a modern one. The classic bohemian design offers vibrant colors, while the more modern take on boho style focuses on warm tones.
What is Minimalist Boho Decor?
To put it shortly, it’s a combination of modern decor with classic boho elements and a personal touch from the homeowner. A minimalist boho decor includes elements with clean lines that provide a simple background. A true boho decor is about adding vibrant colors that give your space a messy look. Boho decor is more about vibrant colors with a messy space. Thus, minimalist boho style means customizing the boho room decor by looking simple.
Is Boho Still in Style by 2023-2024?
As people tend towards interior design elements that easily blend in and provide a modern look, boho style on earthy tones will always be popular.
What Are Three Things People Believe When They Want a Boho Decor?
Freedom, colors, and budget! Yes, that’s right. Thanks to boho style, you can repurpose your old furniture by saving a lot of money. Moreover, boho decor allows you to add all kinds of materials, colors, and patterns and still look stylish.